Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction among Reproductive-age Women in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background & aim: Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common problems in women which negatively affect their quality of life, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships. The prevalence of this problem varies in different studies. Regarding this, this review was conducted to provide a clear picture of the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among reproductive-age women in Iran using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: The relevant articles published up to April 9, 2017 were searched both in the international including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and national electronic databases such as SID, IranMedex, Magiran, and Irandoc. The searching process was accomplished using a set of standard keywords. The data were analyzed using RevMan software, version 5.3. Results: Thedatabase search resulted in the retrieval of 1,024 articles, 9 cases of which were selected for systematic review. Out of the selected studies, seven articles were eligible to be included in the meta-analysis. According to the results of the reviewed studies, the pooled prevalence rate of sexual dysfunction among the reproductive-age women was estimated as 52% (95% CI: 39-66%). Furthermore, the pooled prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the domains of sexual desire, sexual arousal, lubrication, sexual pain, and orgasm was estimated as 39% (95% CI: 35-42%), 34% (95% CI: 21-46%), 32% (95% CI: 21-43%), 38% (95% CI: 24-51%), and 30% (95% CI: 22-38%), respectively. Conclusion: The results of the retrieved studies demonstrated that sexual dysfunction is a common health problem among the Iranian women of reproductive age. However, more high-quality research is needed in this area.